


Such a pretty face (On a pretty neck)

by rainbowslovehl (Larrymateforlife)



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Beau is a character by the way, Cupcakes, Fluff, Food Fight, M/M, Teacher Harry, This is all Harry's fault by the way, kiwi fic au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-20
Updated: 2017-11-20
Packaged: 2019-02-04 10:31:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,643
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12769158
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Larrymateforlife/pseuds/rainbowslovehl
Summary: It is picture day and Harry wants everything to go well but his class decides to have a food fight.Or a Kiwi mv au.





	Such a pretty face (On a pretty neck)

**Author's Note:**

> Ah so watching the kiwi mv an idea popped in my head and I had to write it down so here goes.  
> Warning: I know nothing about how picture day works so you can almost think of this as a crack fic I'm sorry. Food fight is wrong don't waste food. Otherwise it's all nonsense fluff.  
> As always, thanks to my cheerleader Ammu who told me I should do this despite my computer failing on me and making me unable to write for like three days. This is unbetaed so all mistakes are mine.  
> Title is of course from Kiwi by Harry Styles.

 

Harry spread the blue icing with care on top of the chocolate cupcakes he made, tongue sticking out from the corner of his mouth. His eyes were focused as he swirled layers of icing properly before they looked good. He smiled triumphantly, wiping his forehead with his forehead as the last of them was done. The twelfth one was done now and they all look delicious, if he said so himself. All he had to do was add some rainbow sprinkles and they’d be done but it could wait till tomorrow.

The stress from before was gone, replaced with a sense of accomplishment. All those worries about tomorrow were gone. Baking did help him achieve peace… or a piece, he thought, laughing to himself. There was a crick in his neck from keeping it craned for so long but then maybe it was the price to pay when you bake. Funny, that.

Tomorrow was the day everyone from his class was bringing dessert to share, for some unknown reason and Beau wanted him to make her some cupcakes. And who was he to deny her. That was totally the reason he’d state for his baking, not the stress about picture day for sure.

Harry put the last cupcake on the tray where the rest sat, looking pretty. She would love this and so would his class. He massaged his neck, looking up at the clock to find it was past nine. He frowned. Gemma still wasn’t home. She had to stop overworking herself and working late. It would start affecting her but if she’d ever listen to Harry. And it wasn’t like Harry minded waiting for her, he didn’t. But he was worried. Ever since she had got that promotion, it was like she never stopped working. His hand reached towards his phone, lying on the counter when the front door creaked and then shut. Without looking, he knew it was her, finally home. He sighed in relief.

Smoothening the creases on his forehead he went back to looking at his cupcakes. He noticed one of the iced cupcakes looking a little off so he went to fix it. He didn’t know how many minutes had passed but he could heart footfalls and sure enough, Gemma was strolling in. she was still in her work clothes looking worse for wear. Her eyes were droopy, hair falling out of the messy bun she had kept it in and overall, dishevelled. Harry frowned and watched her sniff the air before giving him a tired smile.

“What smells so delicious Harry?” she asked, craning her neck to look on the counter top. Her eyes found what they were searching for a lit up, like a child on Christmas. Her eyes watched the cupcakes on the tray hungrily as she shot a grin at him. She sniffed the air a little more, suddenly looking younger than she did a few minutes before. “Cupcakes!”

And although Harry was happy her smile was genuine but he wasn’t happy about her intentions. Quick as a fox, she covered the distance between her and the counter top, making grabby hands for the cupcake. But Harry was quicker, batting her hands away and taking the tray for himself. He held it higher above his head, careful not to drop them. He raised his eyebrows pointedly. “No Gemma these aren’t for you to eat now. These are for tomorrow and for your daughter.”

“Oh come on!” she protested, stomping her foot. Then she stood on her tiptoes, trying to drag for the tray or even one cupcake which reached her hand. And unfortunately for her, she was shorter than him, failing to get anything. “Gimme at least one! What’s her is mine as well.”

“That’s not how it works Gems,” he argued. He steadied himself by grabbing onto the countertop with one hand as Gemma took to shoving at his shoulders in an effort to make him lower his hands. And the stress from before? All coming back. “No.”

She took to whining and pouting then, widening her eyes. It was a trick that Harry had invented so he could easily resisted, shaking his head. Those eyes didn’t work on him anymore, not after all those times she had led him into trouble like that as a child. He snorted at her desperate attempts though, wondering how he had suddenly gotten a child in place of an elder one. He had to shake her off somehow since his hands were hurting and suddenly an idea formed. “But if you want you can take those.”

He pointed towards the other of the countertop where another batch of cupcakes sat, iced bluish green instead of plain blue.

“You’re the best brother, Haz!” she squealed before grinning at him triumphantly, looking like she won the battle. Harry didn’t smirk until after she had turn though, shooting the other batch of cupcakes a greedy look. He set down the tray as Gemma walked away, rummaging through the drawers for a Tupperware box to keep them in. when he found one, he carefully set down all of the cupcakes, trying not to ruin the icing on them. Luckily the swirls sit pretty, even after the last one was put in.

Gemma and Beau, her nine year old daughter had moved in with him three years ago. Harry had just moved into this quaint neighbourhood after getting a job as a drama teacher in the nearby school, a little off Manchester. When he had looked at this house the first time, something about this had screamed ‘family home’ to him. And on instinct he had bought the rather large house to house only himself, having no boyfriend or husband then. He lamented over being lonely but not for long. After having a big spat with her husband, Gemma decided to leave him. She packed her bags, took Beau and arrived at his doorsteps asking if she could live with him. And then she never left, which neither of them had a problem with. It gave Harry a chance to dote on his niece and take care of someone, two things which he loved.

Just as Harry was about to put on the lid, he head a squeak from behind him. He turned around quickly, just in time to see Gemma spit out the piece of cupcake she had chewed into, a disgusted look on her face. She spit out more of the cake she had eaten and it was so hilarious Harry just couldn’t hold his laughter in any longer. Gemma snapped towards him, a mixture of irritated and disgusted, cream lining her lips. Harry almost bent over in half with the intensity of his laugh.

“What the fuck?” she shrieked, shooting the cupcake a disgusted look before keeping it back with the others and stepping away.

“Language,” he reprimanded, giving her a faux stern look. “Your daughter is sleeping in the other room. What if she hears you? Is that the example you want to send?”

“Shut up.” She glared at him before looking at the cupcakes, breaking a piece from the one she had taken a bite of and throwing it towards him. It missed him by a mile yet he shot her a scandalised look.

“Hey don’t waste food.”

“They are sour,” she said, eyes narrowed and green icing on her lips. “Why did you make me eat them?”

Harry broke into fits of giggles again, steadying himself against the counter and almost dropping the lid in his hands. He knew he shouldn’t laugh but how could he not. “I didn’t do anything.” He pretended to wipe the tear from the corner of his eyes. Gemma’s glare intensified but all it seemed to do was make him laugh more. “You wanted them, remember? So you got them. Aren’t you happy?”

“These are sour,” she repeated, pointing at the cupcakes as she shot them a nasty look. Harry pursed his lips to maintain a fake sombre expression.

“I’m well aware Gemma, I made them.” She shot him a nasty look then. He just laughed, shaking his head as he raised his hands in show of mercy. “I iced them and before I took a bit and realised I had messed it up. Adding less sugar and accidentally, sour cream. It wasn’t a prank I swear. But poor cupcakes.”

“No poor me I should say.” She crossed her hands over her chest, huffing. “For having a brother so bad.”

“Oh so I’m a bad brother for you now? What about when you were begging to me for cupcakes? You said I was a good brother then.”

“Yeah well my bad as I obviously didn’t know you then.”

“I told you that these weren’t for you but you still wanted,” he pointed out, while pointing an accusing finger at her. He stuck her tongue at her, maturely. “That’s why you shouldn’t be greedy.”

She huffed indignantly, turning her nose up at him. “Well now I neither want you nor your cupcakes.” He gave her a shit eating grin to which she huffed again. “Oh and you and your niece have fun tomorrow. See if I help you out with clothes again.”

“Oh come on Gems,” he called out after her as she turned on spot and walked out. There were traces of amusement laced in his voice which was probably why she didn’t stop. “Don’t be upset. I’ll make you new ones tomorrow. And you still have to have dinner.”

Gemma didn’t look back and Harry’s smile returned. She came later for dinner of course, filling up her plate, turning her nose up at her and leaving for her room. Harry laughed at it until he fell asleep.

-

The reason for all of Harry’s stress was picture day at school. Spirits ran high and as did Harry’s anxiety due to it. He needed this day to go right, the picture to be fine. The last time it had not been great, to say. One of his students had sneezed at the very moment that the camera clicked and everyone turned their head to look at her, coming out blurred. Hence this year he was set on it being proper. And hopeful the dessert sharing they were planning didn’t give them too much of a sugar rush.

Harry tied the scarf on his neck with precision, pulling it in a perfect white bow. He was wearing his light blue suit, with an array of flowers running up on it. It looked pristine, like he was just out of some regal event. Surely it was bright on the eyes but it wrapped around his figure well, flaring down the bottom and highlighting his nonexistent curves. Plus it was Gucci and the most expensive suit he owned. He had gelled his hair up in a quiff, sitting still in all its glory. He liked how regal he looked right now, as he winked at his reflection in the mirror.

Okay so he was vain. Big deal.

“Harry?” his sister called from downstairs followed by calling his name one more time. He sighed, shaking his head as he checked himself one more time in the full length mirror before heading for downstairs. Gemma was waiting at the foot of it, looking impatient. As she saw Harry, a teasing smile overcame her face as she let out a low whistle. “Someone is being dressy today. What is it, a date?”

“Haha you very well know it’s not,” he retorted, rolling his eyes at her. But despite that his cheeks coloured. He wished he was out on a date but it was hard to find beautiful eligible men out here, who were not already taken, that is. Gemma’s amusement grew. “What do you want from me?”

“A favour,” she said, eyes twinkling.

“A favour?”

She nodded, waving her hand around before shrugging. “Yeah I mean. It’s because of your niece, honestly.” He raised his eyebrows at that, cocking his head to a side. “So what happened in last week she volunteered me to take care of our neighbour’s puppies and I was going to as well. But I just got a call from work and I have to go. So…”

He scoffed, raising his eyebrows higher. “So you want me to do that?”

“Well yes I want you to take care of the puppies,” she continued, rolling her eyes at him as she spun on spot and walked towards the kitchen.

“Wait,” he called after her, tripping on his own two feet as he hurried to catch up with her stride. “I have to go to school and teach. Gems, I can’t take care of these puppies.”

“Well too bad,” she said, picking the basket off the counter and held it towards him. Inside the big, weaved basket were three puppies, the colour of golden and brown, yapping happily at him. Harry felt his heart swell up with uncontrollable happiness at the sight of them, feeling his insides go warm and his hands itching to hold them. But he tried his best not to show his grin on his face, lest Gemma took it as a sign of defeat. “They’re already here, though. Look at them.”

She shoved the basket even closer to him, keeping the bright, happy puppies right under his nose and his heart was literally melting with joy. But he kept a blank, passive face still, urging it not to betray him today. And it should be easy, with him being a drama teacher and all. “Any other day I would, Gems you know that. But I have no choice. It’s picture day and I…”

“Come on,” she pleased before she kept the basket back on the table. Harry was about to sigh in relief. But before he could, Gemma picked up on of the puppies, the golden on, and held it beside her face. She pouted and the puppy left out a soft whine as well. The sight was adorable, was the thing. And Gemma’s pout usually didn’t affect him but combining it with literal puppy dog eyes… his heart couldn’t take it. And his face must’ve finally betrayed him as Gemma’s lips twisted, smugly. “So you’ll take him?”

Harry sighed exaggeratedly and held out his hands in which the puppy was placed. Cradling the small creature to his chest, he smiled. “I hate you so much for doing this but yes. And if I get fired, I’ll blame you and curse you for the rest of my life.”

“If something you should blame your niece.”

“So she’s my niece now?” he asked, cocking his brow in amusement. “If I remember, last night she was your daughter when you wanted something.

“Well,” she said, dragging the word as she tilted her head to a side. “You showed more loyalty to her than your own sister then so now if you have are to blame, she should be the one. Also, she was the one to agree on my behalf anyway.”

Harry hummed, unconvinced as kissed the puppy’s forehead, who was licking his chin. He pushed past Gemma to get to the other two puppies. He held them both in his arms as well, giggling when they moved and licked his face. They were so friendly and sweet.

“You owe me,” he said to his sister.

“Actually, I think we are even,” she replied, raising her nose defiantly in the air and flipped her blonde hair over her shoulder. “Remember how I got you this suit?”

He hummed again, kissing the temple of the brown haired puppy. “Well it can’t be a favour if it was a gift.”

“Whatever,” was the only thing she said as she shrugged, strolling out of the kitchen.

“Seems like you’re coming with me, little puppies,” Harry cooed at them, grinning. And as if they understood him, the three of them barked in unison. Would be an interesting day at school but hey, who didn’t love puppies right? Just he needed to be a little inconspicuous about carrying them in.

-

School was interesting indeed, carrying sneakily three dogs inside the school, under his suit jacket. All of his ten year old students aww-ed and cooed over the puppies, to which Harry to hush them, lest the principal got a whiff of it. He asked them to not tell and they promised them they won’t, nodding with a finger on their lips. It was a sweet sight indeed.

Hours passed quickly when you’re playing with puppies instead of teaching it seemed, as it was already time for the class picture. He bid farewell to the class he was teaching before picking up the puppies and hiding them under his suit jacket, his front looking as it had been wiggling. Luckily so far no one else knew he had brought puppies over. He walked towards the school gymnasium, where the picture was to be taken. For some reason, he didn’t have even one class with his students. He had told them to wear their best clothes yesterday and hopefully they complied. Gemma was to give those cupcakes to Beau this morning as Harry had to leave earlier, what with the puppies under his shirt and all. And his niece was to distribute them to everyone so they might have even eaten it so he couldn’t wait to hear their compliments. He knew he was good but he loved hearing just good he was sometimes. He was a narcissist who needed compliments to fuel his ego no big deal.

Holding the puppies surely in his arms, who were wiggling too much, Harry freed one hand to push the door open. He could hear the faint yelling of kids and when the door opened, his expression to one of shock and horror. Because his class, whom he prided on, were dressed up in nice clothes like he had asked. But every surface and everyone’s face was covered in cake. There was a heap of desserts stashed in the middle of the room and every kid held at least a small piece of cake. They were eating it or throwing at each other, smacking it on someone’s face. Their clothes were smeared with cream as were their cheeks, as they laughed and one of them slipped. It was chaotic, to say the least. One of them, a girl in a blue suit threw a cupcake which landed at a little away from Harry’s shoe. He took a close look, noticing the familiar blue green of the icing on it, making his jaw drop, affronted.

And suddenly noticing his presence, standing there in shock and horror with three wiggling puppies in his hand, they all went still. The noise died down as the room was doused in silence as all the kids looked at Harry with a mix of surprise and guilt. Some of their hands were raised in the motion of throwing cake and they were all looking at Harry, waiting. The blue floral suited girl also froze, eyes gone wide as she stared at him. Her suit was smudged with cake and icing, and there was some white cream on her cheeks as well. Her face looked incredibly guilty. Harry had a suspicion she had started whatever this was.

“Did you start this, Beau?” he asked, voice surprisingly calm. He hoped he looked stern, despite the colourful blue suit and puppies in hand. Beau nodded slowly, tucking her long brown hair behind her ear. “That suit is Gucci!”

“I’m so sorry Uncle Harry uh I mean sir,” she stammered, shuffling her feet as she widened her eyes, a replica of her mother’s. Gemma and Harry didn’t look all that different so one could say he was staring down at his own replica, with the matching floral blue suits and looks. It didn’t help that he was her niece, something which could be held as him favouring her, which he never did really. She lowered her eyes, scrubbing her shoes against the floor. “I brought the wrong cupcakes really. And then someone suggested we threw them at each other and I don’t know why I agreed to that but I did. And everyone threw their pieces of cake. I know this isn’t a good enough reason but…”

She trailed off, looking up guiltily at him before looking at her feet again. Harry cradled the puppies to his chest, looking from one guilty kid to the other, as they had now lowered their hands and copied Beau’s position of guilt. There was a pregnant silence hanging in the room. Harry was still looking at his kids, debating the next course of action. He noticed the  smushed cakes all over the floor before his gaze landed on the one next to his foot. Now that he saw it clearly, they were the bad batch with the blue green icing instead of the blue ones. Now that he knew that they weren’t the good cupcakes, his irritation had faded off a little. One of the small golden puppies, the one he had named Kiwi for some reason over the course of the day, was getting restless in his arms. So he leaned down, intending to set the puppies free. And with his now freed hand, he picked up the cupcake as sneakily as he could and stood up, a blank expression on his face. Since everyone had their heads bowed, they didn’t notice his movement. And before they could, Harry yelled out a battle cry, making them all startled. And as they looked up, Harry aimed and threw the cupcake straight towards his niece, it hitting her square on the forehead and slinking down.

Her lips parted in surprise as everyone else around her cheered in joy. Harry was smirking but not for long, as Beau had managed to find a piece of cake off the floor and throwing it towards. He ducked and rolled, careful not to let any cake get on his suit, which was expensive did he say that? Everyone was back to throwing cupcakes, with exaggerated war cries like the one he had made and laughing. He was proud of them anyway for how authentic their war cries sounded. He could see Beau crawling across the floor in search of armaments, no doubt coming for Harry in revenge. Only she’d be the one to throw cake at him, others getting worried as he was only their teacher. So Harry found a table near the corner behind which he could hide and crawled behind it and waited. Kiwi pattered over to him, mouth lining with icing from no doubt when he was licking off the floor. He picked up and held him close to his chest, smiling at the small thing.

And just then someone else slid beside him too, knocking shoulders as they pressed close to him, probably to escape the flying cupcakes himself. Harry assumed it would one of his students so he turned towards them with a smile but felt disarmed when faced with an adult who had eyes so blue they looked like clear crystal. Bluer than the icing he had spread on the cupcake last night and maybe, bluer than the most blue of colours. And his smile was even brighter than the suit Harry was wearing. He was wearing a black tank top which exposed his tanned and muscled arm, which Harry wanted to drool over but restrained. There was icing on his sharp cheekbones and chin. He was hugging his feet to his chest, making himself small to fit in the small space and Harry’s left side was all but burning from the touch.

“Hi,” the man whispered, grinning widely. His voice was raspy and soft and enticing, settling warmly in Harry’s bones. He looked incredible small though and maybe it was because he was folding himself in. but the man was an unfamiliar presence he sure that if he had seen him before, he’d have remembered him. And it would be concerning of his presence in the school, specifically here, if Harry was in the right state of mind. But all of questions were relating to knowing more about the man than of his location.

Before he could ask any of those, Kiwi bounced in his arms, pawing at his face while reaching towards the man. Well, there might be something that he shared with the puppy after all, he thought. But then he escaped his grasp, jumping right onto the man’s face and licking the icing off his face. Harry gasped, unable to stop staring (or stop getting jealous) of the way Kiwi was licking at the man’s cheeks.

“Oops I’m so sorry,” Harry whispered as he unsuccessfully tried to pry Kiwi away from the man. His fingers brushed against the soft material of the man’s top in the process before he finally managed to get a hold of the puppy and take him.

“It’s fine,” he rasped, smiling at the puppy as he fixed his fringe delicately with two fingers. He looked incredibly soft and dainty while his arms looked strong, contracting everything. He would be the kind to take care when sick while throwing across the bed as well when need be. And Harry was getting flustered. So Harry pried his eyes away from the man and pretended to be overly focused on the puppy in hand. “So you must be the teacher?”

“Yeah,” Harry whispered back, looking up again to find the man holding up in a cupcake in his once free hand while munching on a slice of… “Kiwi?”

“Hmm?” Louis looked over, confusion evident in his eyes as he looked at the fruit in his hands and it cleared as realisation dawned on him. His eyebrows arched up in wonder as his lips formed an ‘o’ shape. That simple expression was so beautiful to witness that Harry found himself smiling softly. “Yeah I found it on the floor, really.”

“On the floor?” he asked sceptically, feeling endeared rather than disgusted as his reaction would be if… literally anyone else would’ve done the same action. “Isn’t it like unhealthy?”

“Well why should we care when we’re all gonna die anyway,” he mused, taking another bite and finishing the fruit, munching rather adorably. And okay, maybe Harry needed to calm himself. But this man, whose name he still didn’t know, was driving him crazy but he was into it.

Harry almost laughed along to the man. Almost, since that was the very moment when the man bit into the cupcake, getting icing all over his nose and lips. He was a messy eater it seemed. And how Harry wouldn’t mind licking off the line of cream off the man’s lips. And as soon as the thought crossed his mind, the man was licking his own lips, looking seductively at him through his lashes. And maybe he wasn’t but his eyes told a different tale, glinting mischievously. Harry caught himself staring at his lips, looking pink and shiny, and cleared his throat as he diverted his gaze. He kept his gaze pointedly away until the man had finished eating the cupcake, licking and sucking on his fingers. A lot.

“So how are you here?” Harry asked just to say something, voice embarrassingly high as he looked right into Kiwi’s eyes. Kiwi stared back blankly.

“Oh right yeah,” said the man, laughing lightly. “I completely forgot to introduce myself, didn’t I? Silly me.”

Harry deemed it safe to look back and found the man smiling brighter than the sun. he could hear the faint screams of his students screaming and laughing, but it felt muted. For some reason. Well.

“I’m Louis,” he said, extending his hand but drawing it back quickly. Harry found himself staring at his hand, deft, small fingers with the number 28 tattooed on it. They looked… well artful. “Sorry my hand in a bit dirty right now or I’d have shaken yours. And I’m um the photographer. You know for the picture?”

“Oh,” Harry said, blinking confusedly before it clicked (ha). Class photograph. Right. To which he needed to get back to and stop the kids. Right. “Oh.”

“Yeah oh,” he teased softly, smiling. His smile reached his eyes, making them crinkle and shine and it was beautiful, to say in the least. “I came a little after you did, when you were doing a battle cry?”  He blinked twice, a faraway look on his face as he tilted his head to a side. “I was carrying my equipment which I kept outside oh shit. I almost forgot about it. Someone could take it. I need to go and get it but then it would get damaged in all the cream and I don’t know what to do.”

He started rambling to himself and Harry found himself quite content to listen to it. Louis’ eyes blinked and narrowed appropriately, eyebrows rising and lips drawing into a pout as his hands formed shapes. His face was so expressive, his voice so soothing that Harry found himself wanting to know more about this little enigma. Louis seemed to be the person he could just sit and admire what he’s like.

“Anyway,” Louis finally said, cutting off himself in the middle of the ramble as well as Harry’s stream of thoughts. He laughed, shaking his head. “I started talking to meself there. But we need to get on with it.”

“Huh?” Harry was completely out of it, honestly.

Louis laughed again, voice like tinkling bells. “The photograph? The kids are having fun I see.” A fond smile drew on his lips. “But I also have one more place to be at so.”

“Oh,” Harry said for the third time in two minutes, blinking furiously. It took him a good second to look away from Louis’ eyes, which shined by the way, and understand what he was saying. And yeah maybe he should break up the fight. It was going to get messy to clean up later and he just won’t leave it be for the janitor. He had to tell them to help too. “Yeah I guess I have to now. Enough fun huh?” He chuckled. “You get your equipments till then I’ll make them stop alright?”

“Sure …?” Louis raised his eyebrows expectantly, awaiting an answer from Harry.

“Harry. Styles.” Louis’ face lit up with a smile and boy did he never want the man to stop smiling.

“Sure Harry. I’ll do just that.” He winked, giving him a lopsided grin before he crawled away, artfully ducking every small piece of cake coming his way. Harry found himself staring at Louis’ ass, which looked great even in those loose track pants, before he managed to shake himself out of it. God did Louis make him lose sense of everything.

Harry stood up, observing the room and finding a piece of cake smeared on the floor almost in every corner and the kids looked absolutely dirty, their clothes ruined. But they were laughing, gleefully and brightly, which was all that mattered to Harry. He should end this though. Cupping his hands over his mouth, he yelled out. “Kids a class picture awaits us.”

All movements halted as they looked towards the sound of their teacher’s voice. One by one they nodded slowly while dropping whatever piece of cake or cream they held in their hands. He could spot Beau in the centre of them all, suit smeared with white icing which would be hard to remove and hair holding icing as well. But she was grinning at him. “And you all have to help clean this mess up alright?”

“Alright,” they voiced back at him, a wide, toothy smile on all of their faces. Harry grinned back, shaking his hair out of habit then remembering he had gelled it. He found Louis standing at the door, a soft, fond smile on his face. Harry’s smile turned softer as he looked at him.

As everyone else made themselves presentable, washing their faces and removing the cake from their clothes, Harry fussed over Beau. She was looking at him impatiently as he grumbled under his breath about irremovable stains. She sighed, throwing her head back to which he gave her a stern look. “Oh don’t do that young lady. You had your fun now you listen. Gemma is going to be so mad at you. Not only did you stain your clothes, you started a food fight. If anyone comes for me, I’ll be turning them to you. I have no part in this.”

“Fi-ne,” she groaned, breaking the word as she rolled her eyes. And yup, just like her mum. “You act like an American TV show mother, by the way.”

Harry gasped, clutching his chest like the gay drama teacher he was, giving her a scandalised look. “I’ll have you known that I am neither.”

“You wish you were a mother,” she countered, narrowing her eyes as she combed her fingers through her hair to tame them. And what she said was true, yet he was about to argue when a shadow fell over them and someone cleared their throat. Harry’s heart sped in his chest, knowing who it was even before he turned too quickly and almost slipped. Louis was standing there, eyebrows raised and a small smile running on his lips. Now that they were standing, Harry realised he was indeed small, standing a few inches short than him. His hair sat fluffily atop his head while his biceps were bulging slightly due to the fact that he had his hands crossed over his chest. The black suited his figure as well, as he could see the dip of his slight waist and a little wider hips. Damn was he perfectly beautiful. “Hi Louis.”

“Hey,” he said, waving his hand slightly as his eyes fell on Beau and he grinned that crinkly eyed grin of his. “I was wondering whether you want to take like a single photo? I say you two look quite cute.”

Harry cheeks coloured as he smiled at his feet, shuffling them. Beau giggled behind him, not subtly, nudging his hip. “I mean sure? If you would like to? If others won’t get jealous.”

“I can be sneaky,” Louis whispered in a hushed tone like they were conspiring. And then he winked, making all the air in Harry’s lungs suddenly disappearing. He took a deep breath, eyes widening as he gave a strained chuckled. “If you want.”

“I want,” Harry repeated dumbly, getting another nudge from Beau. Yup, certainly like her mother if Harry ever had any doubt about it. “I mean sure. Alright Beau?”

“Sure,” she said, dragging the word teasingly as she winked. Again, not subtly. She was eleven. Why was she such a menace?

Harry gave her a glare to which she smiled slyly.

Louis clapped his hands together, making Harry turn towards him again. Louis was smiling again. “So let’s stand there in front of that wall?”

Harry and Beau stood side by side against the white wall Louis had pointed them to, giving the camera their best serious look. Which was hard for Harry, mainly because Louis was behind that lens. Louis clicked two pictures of them, looking serious before he grinned charmingly to which Harry couldn’t help grin back and Louis was quick to snap a picture again.

From the corner of his eyes Harry saw the others kids get restless and chattering loudly so he signalled Louis to stop. Louis lowered the camera from his eyes and nodded. He walked towards them, standing close to Harry to show them the pictures. His hair tickled Harry’s nose and sniffed, breathing the heavenly smell of Louis. Beau was jumping to get a look too so Louis crouched to show it to her. The sight looked beautiful, Louis whispering to her as she smiled at him. And even if it was way too soon, Harry could imagine the two of them raising a beautiful daughter and wearing matching suits. It would be cute. And also Beau could pass off as their daughter, with the blue eyes she had from her father.

“Those look very nice, Louis,” Beau said, smiling. “But I better go.”

She winked at Harry and fled. He narrowed his eyes at her before turning to Louis and he could feel himself melt due to the expression he held. He had the softest smile anyone could’ve ever seen, head tilted to a side. “You two look so cute together. I bet you’re a good father.”

And Harry choked on air, eyes wide as saucers. Father? Did he think Harry was her father? Like he could see the resemblance but really? Father? “I uh what?”

“Are you okay?” Louis asked, brows furrowed together as his hands hovered over Harry’s shoulder, confused between touching him or not.

“I’m not her father,” he said, voice high and shrill and hurried. Louis blinked, frowning. “I’m her uncle. She’s my sister’s daughter and we live together. She brought us matching outfits since I love colourful suits. And I had no idea she’d wear it. I’m not… I’m not her father. I don’t even have a boyfriend yet.”

Smooth, he thought to himself in the midst of the choking and spluttering. He was making a fine impression in front of a cute boy. He was nailing this. Turns out, Louis was only smiling so fondly because he thought he was her father. He was not even into him. Great.

“I uh thought that,” Louis started, shaking his head before smiling timidly. He played with his fringe. “I thought she was your daughter. You’re so gentle with her though and wearing matching suits. Can’t blame a man for the mistake.”

“I’m not,” Harry said, laughing shakily as he reached to mess his hair again before putting it down. He needed to not mess his hair right now. “Caught me by surprise.”

“Well you’re good with kids.” Louis raised a shoulder in a half shrug. “It’s still cute.”

Blush rose on Harry’s cheek as he ducked his head again. Maybe Louis had been flirting with him who knows. “Thanks.”

“No problem.” They just stood there for a minute, looking at each and looking away, like the teenage kids they weren’t.

“Uncle Harry!” screamed Beau from the other side of the room where the kids had already gathered, giggling at him. “Quick!”

Harry rolled his eyes at her before looking at Louis, who was looking at him timidly, biting his lower lip. And something just came over him at that minute, a sudden surge of confidence. “Will you go for coffee with me? Or dinner?”

“I can’t,” he said, eyes sad and Harry’s heart just cracked and broke. Louis widened his eyes, placing his hand on Harry’s shoulder. “I have to be somewhere right now but I could meet you tomorrow?”

Harry’s face brightened, heart mended itself and flew out of his chest. “Really?”

“Yes,” Louis assured, grin equally as bright as Harry’s. His eyes sparkled again, bluer than the sea. He fiddled with his hands with hesitation before he leaned forward and placed a kiss on his cheeks. His cheeks were as pink as Harry’s definitely were. “Give me your number before I go okay?”

And just like that Louis was walking towards where the kids stood. They were laughing and cooing at Harry, especially Beau, who was loudest with her laugh. Of course. She was like some form of their leader.

“Okay,” Harry squeaked, about a minute late and absently followed Louis.

Harry had completely gathered his wits by the time he stood with all the kids, Beau in front of him. As Louis raised the camera to his eyes, Harry smirked. He had a date with that guy.

And when the photo came out, it was him smirking at the camera, which Louis pointed out, laughing.

**Author's Note:**

> Ah so I put in as many references as I could, so if you find them, kudos to you. I also named the dog Kiwi hehe so yeah. I hope I captured the essence of Louis well.  
> I hope y'all like it.  
> Kudos and comments are appreciated.  
> I'm on [twitter](https://mobile.twitter.com/rainbowslovehl) come and say hi (oops!).


End file.
